Japan's HR hiring cools: new postings down 32% and weekly pace off its peak
Rakuten still dominates the field, but fewer new roles are going up each week, and none of them are remote.
is what the typical role asks for. 15% ask for 10 years or more.
54% of open roles state years23 new roles in the last 30 days, against 34 the 30 days before, at the same companies.
Companies read for 60 days or moreat 64 companies hiring in Japan.
Issue of 2 November 2026This week's read
If you're job hunting in People & HR in Japan right now, the pace has slowed. There were 23 new roles posted in the last 30 days, down from 34 in the 30 days before, a drop of 32%. The weekly chart tells the same story: the week of 7 September saw 13 new roles, the most of any week since, and the latest week on record (26 October) had just 7, down 46% from that peak.
There are still 135 open roles across 64 companies, so the market hasn't dried up. But it's concentrated: the top 8 employers alone account for 53% of all open roles. Rakuten is by far the biggest single employer here, with 41 open roles, more than six times the next closest on the list, Amazon, which has 7. Marriott International, Hilton, Revolution Medicines, adidas, Mercari and Micron round out the top 8, each with single-digit counts.
Experience bars are moderate but not low. The median minimum years asked for is 3, and 15% of postings want 10 or more years of experience. Only 54% of roles actually state a years requirement, so many postings leave it open. By seniority, mid-level titles make up 68% of postings, senior roles 18%, principal 10%, junior just 4%, and lead roles only 1%, so this is mostly a mid-career market.
On tools, HRIS shows up in 15% of postings and Workday in 13%, making them the two most-named systems. AI and machine learning is named in 7% of postings. Employment law knowledge is asked for in 17% of postings, well ahead of any other industry background listed. If you're weighing what to highlight on your resume, these are the terms actually showing up most often in Japan's HR postings right now. One more thing worth knowing: none of the open roles are listed as remote, so plan for in-person or hybrid work.
Roles also tend to stay open for a while, with a median of 34 days from posting to close. That gives you some room to apply without feeling rushed, but it also means the market isn't refreshing itself quickly. With new postings down and the weekly pace easing, this looks like a slower stretch rather than a rush of new openings.
What this means for you
Three things you can act on this week
- New postings are down sharply
New roles fell 32% over the last 30 days, and the weekly pace is down 46% from its early September peak. Expect fewer fresh postings to check each week right now.
- Rakuten leads by a wide margin
Rakuten alone has 41 open roles, far more than any other employer listed. The top 8 employers together hold 53% of all open roles, so a handful of companies drive most of the activity.
- No remote roles, moderate experience bar
None of the open roles are remote, so plan for in-person work. The median minimum experience asked is 3 years, with HRIS and Workday the two most commonly named systems.
Momentum
New People roles each week
Last 30 days: 23 new roles, against 34 the 30 days before (-32%). Each week counts the same companies, and a role counts as new only in the week it was posted, so a careers site we start reading never shows up as growth.
See the numbers
| Week starting | New roles |
|---|---|
| 7 Sep | 13 |
| 14 Sep | 9 |
| 21 Sep | 4 |
| 28 Sep | 7 |
| 5 Oct | 2 |
| 12 Oct | 4 |
| 19 Oct | 10 |
| 26 Oct | 7 |
Who is hiring
The companies with the most open People roles
64 companies are hiring. The top eight hold 53% of the open roles.
| Company | Open roles | Change in new roles |
|---|---|---|
| Rakuten | 41 | |
| Amazon | 7 | |
| Marriott International | 6 | |
| Hilton | 5 | |
| Revolution Medicines | 4 | |
| adidas | 3 | |
| Mercari | 3 | |
| Micron | 3 |
Change compares new roles in the last 30 days with the 30 days before, shown where a company posted 25 or more in the earlier 30 days. Staffing agencies are left out. A company name links to its Ashney company page where there is one.
What they ask for
The technology People roles ask for most
Ask Rate is the share of roles that name a skill, from 134 postings read in full. Ways of working (methods such as Agile, tools such as Jira) are listed apart; office tools and soft skills are left out.
Ways of working
Industries named most: Employment law 17%, Pharmaceuticals 5%, Consulting 4%. Certifications named: CCNA 1%, Certified Compensation Professional 1%, CompTIA Network+ 1%. 0% of open roles say they are remote.
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